The Gazette staff compiled the top 10 stories of the year, as determined by what dominated the headlines and the amount of reader feedback we received. Here are the stories of 2007 that caught our – and your – attention:
10. This fall a dynasty continued.
The Gorham varsity girls soccer team found themselves in the high school national rankings for two straight seasons, won three consecutive state championships, and hadn’t lost a game in 38 contests.
They also hadn’t allowed a goal all season – until a September matchup against Marshwood High School, where they let one goal slip through, but still squeaked out a 2-1 win.
They later took their third Class A championship game on Nov. 7.
After winning the state championship game 1-0 against Mt. Ararat last season, the Rams found themselves ranked first in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NCSAA) northeast regional rankings, and fourth overall in the association’s national rankings of all girls’ high school soccer programs in the United States. This year, the team started the season ranked eleventh for the week ending on Sept. 11, the first week of rankings.
The attention has surprised Coach Jeanne Zarrilli, who says Maine generally doesn’t have a prominent reputation for high-level soccer, and therefore normally doesn’t get recognition in national polls.
Zarrilli credited her team with rising to the challenge of handling the mounting pressure.
Gorham High School Athletic Director Gerry Durgin says one important element Coach Zarrilli has brought to his school’s girls’ soccer program is stability.
“The consistency she and assistant coach Steve Martin have brought to the team has really paid off,” Durgin said. “The greatest challenge is having kids come in who want to work as hard as the kids that have helped create this legacy. They’ve been successful with that, I think due to their investment in Gorham’s youth soccer program.”
Jeanne Zarrilli has created connections between her varsity team and the Gorham Youth Soccer Association (GYSA). Several of her players have assisted with coaching GYSA teams, and at every home game, youth soccer players welcome Rams’ starters onto the field by forming a “gauntlet” of cheering support during their introductions before games.
While the team is still a long way off from the high school record of 119 consecutive victories set by St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale Fla. (1994-97) and the streak for scoreless minutes played, 2,080 set in Thomas Aquinas’ 1995 season. Gorham finished sixth in the national rankings this year and set a Maine record for consecutive games without defeat. Zarrilli says the philosophy of “one game at a time” has become important for her team in combating the demand they feel for constant perfection.

9. At the polls in November, Limington residents overwhelmingly rejected a plan to spend $121,000 to purchase the Academy Gym, 500-246 – more than a 2 to 1 margin.
The vote was the result of a group of concerned Limington residents who sought a second attempt to put the purchase to referendum, despite the failure of a similar measure by a 349-211 vote at the March 2 Town Meeting.
Bonnie Laughlin made a presentation on behalf of the group at a public hearing Oct. 18. She said while the town had voted against buying the gym in March, the vote had been close enough for her try to put the referendum on the ballot once again.
The Limington Town Council agreed to allow the issue as a referendum on a 2-1 vote at a Sept. 21 meeting. The group interested in having the town buy the gym had to collect 135 valid signatures of Limington voters to bring the article before the town council; Laughlin said the group had collected 157.
The gym, located in Limington’s village area at the intersection of Route 117 and Route 11, was originally a barn converted into a gym in the 1930s for Limington Academy. After the academy closed in the 1950s, students at the Harold B. Emery Jr. Elementary School used the gym until the school built a new one in the 1990s. More recently, residents used the gym for informal recreation until the Academy’s Board of Trustees, which owns the gym, decided to suspend use due to safety and liability concerns, said Trustee president Roland Weeman.
Laughlin said while the group would like to see the gym preserved because of its historical significance, it was open-minded in what is done with the property once it is purchased. The group raised the possibility of the town razing the gym and building a new recreation center, as well as demolishing the building to create an open common space, including a town green and gazebo, to promote community-based outdoor activities.
An evaluation by Limington’s Code Enforcement Officer, Ron Phinney, estimated the cost to renovate the gym to bring it up to code at between $36,900 and $142,000. The Academy Trustees are offering the gym to the town for $121,000, even though the current tax assessment for the property is $271,300. Weeman said if the town did not buy the land, it would put it up for sale at its full-market value. The cost to tear down the gym is estimated at $12,000 to $15,000.
At the October meeting, several residents voiced their concern regarding various parts of the group’s proposal. Most notable among these concerns was the cost to taxpayers of buying the 0.82-acre property and the town’s assumption of control over a contaminated well on the property.
Bradford Hahn, a state geologist with the Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, presented a report revealing high levels of benzene contamination in the well located on the Academy Gym property, which supplies water to seven buildings in town including the gym, Davis Memorial Library, the Masonic Lodge, the old town hall, Limington Academy and the Hanley and Lord residences.
Hahn reported the benzene was finding its way into the well due to the residual effects of leaky underground gasoline tanks on a nearby property which were recently removed. He said fracture in the well allowed benzene into the well from contaminated topsoil. He presented a graph which showed levels of benzene in the well as high as 74 parts per billion, more than seven times the national legal limit of 10 parts per billion and more than 14 times Maine’s allowable limit. However, Hahn said, two filters installed in the well have proven effective at ridding the well water of benzene contamination since they were installed in 1999.

8. In June, residents in the Maine State Administrative District (SAD) No. 6 communities voted in favor of a new Buxton Elementary School design, slated for an area behind the Frank Jewett and Hanson Elementary schools, on the corner of Route 22 and Groveville Road.
The vote followed several public hearings and straw vote during an earlier school board meeting.
Jim Larimer, project architect with Harriman Associates, based in Auburn, said the district was mandated by the state to host the public hearing and straw vote to gauge whether the public favored the project. He said the state required a simple majority vote to move ahead with the project.
Members of the SAD No. 6 building committee along with Larimer presented plans for the proposed school design to the state board on April 4 – which unanimously approved the plans that day.
Larimer said he and the school board’s building committee have been gathering information throughout the past year to help organize the floor plan and conceptual design of the building, which will be presented for the state board’s approval next week.
The project is expected to cost $28,079,641, with the state responsible for about 95 percent of the cost. The local share of the project, which will allow for a full-sized, 10,000-foot gymnasium, will be $1,499,134.
While the majority of residents supported the project, concerns were raised about traffic at the school’s location and the congestion that could happen at a proposed two-way entrance on Route 22 that would allow for a right exit lane, a left exit lane and one entrance.
Larimer said flashing traffic lights were proposed to be installed in the area of the school and trees could be trimmed to improve the sight lines for those traveling through the area.
Other aspects of the project included first and second floor layouts, a three dimensional picture of the facility and a breakdown of the project’s budget.

7. Two 15-year-old boys were arrested Dec. 14 in connection with vandalism of the Schoolhouse Arts Center in Sebago Lake Village in Standish.
According a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Captain report prepared by Don Goulet, one of the boys, from Porter, was summonsed and turned over to his parents on conditions of release. The other boy, from Standish, was taken to Long Creek Correction Center in South Portland, as his alleged connection to the case violated the conditions of release related to a previous incident, said Goulet. Both of the suspects are under 18-years-old and their names were not released.
Both were charged with arson, a class A crime, and two class C crimes – aggravated criminal mischief and burglary, police said.
The vandalism occurred the night of Nov. 23, as intruders broke into the non-profit arts center and destroyed sound and lighting equipment, musical instruments, furniture, windows and several pieces of art. A fire was started on a couch, which was thrown out of the building from its second story, and three fire extinguishers were discharged throughout the entire building. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office estimated cost of damage and repair at $28,000.
After the damage was discovered the morning of Nov. 24, it was initially believed it would cause the postponement of Schoolhouse’s debut of “Little Women: The Broadway Musical.” But volunteers donated more than 200 hours of their time to the cleanup of the theater, and the show went on as scheduled.

6. Buxton police and area animal welfare officials seized more than 200 dogs and puppies from a Buxton kennel on Aug. 21, with owners then facing 17 summons, police said.
Buxton police officials said on Aug. 21 they served a search warrant to J’aime Kennel owners John Frasca, 53, and Heidi Frasca, 54.
Police were joined at the 35 Paucek Road location by Animal Welfare Society and Westbrook Animal Refuge League officials to search for medical records, veterinary records and to test the animals on site for disease.
The dogs were tested for giardia and sarcoptic mange, both of which can be passed from animals to humans. Giardia is a contagious intestinal parasite acquired from consuming contaminated food or water, frequently transferred through fecal matter. It can cause diarrhea and stomach discomfort which can last up to six months. Mange is a parasitic infection of the skin. Common symptoms include hair loss, itching and inflammation.
Giardia had been previously diagnosed in one of the puppies sold from the kennel, police said.
Following the search, the Frascas were served with 14 summons for having an unlicensed kennel, animal cruelty and faillure to provide necessary medical treatment to animals.
More than 40 volunteers from the various animal agencies assisted with the process of cleaning and treating the animals.
Following a hearing Sept. 26, it was determined that the hundreds of dogs seized in the August raid would remain in custody of the state for the time being. In December, officials announced that some of the animals were available to be adopted.
The Frascas were also slated to face charges in Biddeford District Court in November of running an unlicensed kennel, animal cruelty and failure to provide necessary medical treatment to animals. The couple did not appear in court because an appearance would legitimize the proceedings, which John Frasca called illegal and unconstitutional.

5. Maine residents endured another bout of harsh weather as Mother Nature unleashed a nor’easter in April 16, which left hundreds of people without power and running water. The wind and rainstorm also left many downed power lines, broken tree limbs, as well as flooded basements and roadways.
Officials said at the time it could be days, even weeks before everything got back to normal.
Buxton Fire Chief Jim Graves said the fire department responded to 90 emergency calls that ranged from trees down, downed electrical wires, and flooded basements. He said the department responded to a structure fire on Backnippin Road and to a home on Tapley Road where a tree crashed through the house.
Graves said he applied for $600,000 in storm relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Gorham Public Works Director Robert Burns said the town of Gorham would be asking for more than $100,000 for disaster relief. He said the town would be using the money to repair roads. He said the hardest hit roads were Mitchell Hill Road, Dingley Spring Extension, Plummer Road and Brackett Road.
Standish Fire Chief Martin Jordan said the town is requesting $88,000 in damage relief funds, he said the money will help repair roads, reimburse personnel and reimburse the use of equipment.
Hollis Selectman Irving Severance said the town would be asking for $350,000 to $400,000 in disaster relief funding. He said all the roads in Hollis are currently passable, but they need a lot of work. He said Deerwander Road was the hardest hit, followed by Haley Road and Lower Tarbox Road.
Limington Fire Chief Mike Hartford said other than the fire warning in place, Limington is in good shape. He said the fire department responded to 37 calls during the storm. He said the calls ranged from flooding basements to people stuck in the water.

4. A contentious situation involving the sale of an undeveloped tract of land in Hollis was resolved in mid-July, as the Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced it had reached an agreement with Maine Woodland Properties, Inc. to buy the property in order to preserve it.
The TPL agreed to purchase the land for $830,000, though Hollis Selectman Stu Gannett said that Maine Woodland Properties “will make a profit” on the sale. TPL plans to work with the town of Hollis to seek grants and donations, including applying to the Land for Maine’s Future Program, to help the town acquire the property for permanent conservation, according to a press release by the organization on July 13.
“It’s a unique piece of property,” said TPL Project Manager Wolfe Tone. “The geology, the forest structure, the diversity of plants — I haven’t seen anything like it in southern Maine. The history of the site is also incredible; it’s been a gathering place for people throughout history, from American Indians onwards. There are a lot of reasons that make it an important piece of property to conserve for Hollis.”
Maine Woodland Properties purchased the land in August 2006 for $400,000, but the company’s planned 12-home subdivision immediately ran into trouble when residents contended they had not had a fair opportunity to buy the land because it had not been properly advertised.
More than 50 Hollis and Buxton residents attended a public hearing on Feb. 27 to express their concerns about the development Maine Woodland Properties had proposed for the area. At the meeting, residents expressed their desire to keep the area undeveloped to preserve the historic and cultural importance of the property, and questioned the increase in traffic that a development would create.
According to the press release, the Indian Cellar property, which runs for a mile along the Saco River, got its name from the deep sheltered bedrock walls of the Saco gorge that stayed cool enough in warm summer months for native Indians to store their food. The Saco River once roared through the rugged bedrock gorge at Hollis and Buxton. In 1948, the Skelton Dam was built for power production, and raised the water level 30 feet, thereby calming the river’s flow through the gorge.
The mile-long section of the river bordering the property is also a popular local access point for boating and fishing, and blue herons and bald eagles are commonplace sights along the property’s waterline. Residents further argued that preserving the Indian Cellar area would help preserve the natural character and habitat on both sides of the river — on the Buxton side of the river, lies Pleasant Point Park.
The TPL negotiated with Emmons for sale of the property, and on July 13 the two sides agreed on specific terms of the deal. The TPL is “a national, nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come,” according to the organization’s
Web site.
Hollis resident Rodney Littlefield had agreed to donate to the town a parcel of more than 20 acres that lies adjacent to the Indian Cellar property.

3. In August, the Standish Planning Board ruled Saint Joseph’s College’s application to build five dorms, three parking lots and a science laboratory along a section of Westerlea Way on campus property was complete – and spent the next nearly two hours listening to public comment as part of a public hearing regarding the proposal.
The planning board ended the meeting by voting in favor of peer reviews on the four issues of traffic, lighting, noise, and storm water. Saint Joseph’s was to be billed for the studies.
With extra chairs necessary to find the estimated 50 people in attendance a seat, the board heard comments from the public as well as college officials regarding complaints and concerns about the $29 million proposed expansion. At the close of the meeting, the board recommended hiring an unbiased third party to conduct peer reviews regarding traffic, lighting, noise and sewage in relation to the project.
Two separate lawsuits were filed this year against the town of Standish for the way the zoning board of appeals handled the Saint Joseph’s application. Both are currently in litigation.
The first issue addressed was provisions for vehicular loading, unloading and parking, and pedestrian circulation on the site. Specific concerns were raised about the college’s plan for building a cul-de-sac to access the new dorms, the road’s ability to handle an increased flow of traffic, the college’s disaster response plan, illegal parking by students, and a possible need for a traffic light.
Residents also questioned the buffering, landscaping and screening proposed by the college. Residents expressed concern the new buildings may be able to be seen from both Westerlea Way and some neighbors’ properties. Wood Jr. mentioned the porous surface to be used for the college’s parking lots has not been thoroughly tested for its durability in Maine’s winter conditions.
The college’s plan for lighting was another item attracting significant discussion. Heather Taylor of the architectural firm of Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, described the college’s lighting plan, an update of which was newly submitted the day of the hearing, as sufficient to belay neighbors’ concerns about possible light pollution from the new developments.
In November, the college was granted preliminary approval for the project.

2. A $10 million portable asphalt plant proposed by Shaw Brothers in the fall of 2006 after the company purchased a 115-acre site from LaChance Brick Co. – which had operated a brick-making facility on the property – continued to be a hot topic throughout the year.
Danny Shaw, co-owner of Shaw Brothers, previously said if plans for construction were approved by the Gorham Town Council, the company would first build a temporary asphalt plant, but eventually would phase into building a permanent plant at the site. Shaw said the development would bring about 50 new jobs to Gorham.
On Aug. 14, less than a week before a Gorham Planning Board meeting to further discuss an area business’ plans to bring a portable asphalt plant and rock quarry to town, a small group of protestors staged a press conference and protest in front of the town’s municipal center.
In attendance at the scheduled press conference were 23 people members of the Concerned Citizens of Gorham (CCOG), seven of them children of adult protesters, which was intended to bring more attention to the CCOG’s claims that the asphalt plant and quarry pose a threat both to public health and the quality of life in Gorham, especially to residents living near the proposed site of development along Moser Road. Also at the conference, the CCOG announced they had collected more than 500 signatures of people who support the group and their mission to see plans for the building of the plant and quarry to be discarded.
Later that month, the Gorham Planning Board approved changes to the town’s land use code. After three sessions of discussions, the planning board voted 6-0 in favor of passing every measure on to the town council but one, which was singled out for special deliberation. That measure, a proposal allowing Shaw Brothers to conduct operations in the quarry past standard hours, passed 4-2, despite opposition from two planning board members and complaints from some residents, who said it would aid the company in avoiding state environmental regulations.

1. Officials with the Buxton Police Department announced May 15 that the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office had identified a body found floating on May 11 in the Saco River, as that of missing Buxton teenager Coreen Wiese.
Officer Mike Grovo and Chief Jody Thomas said the medical examiner had determined Coreen died by drowning.
“There is no significant antemortem injury,” Thomas said at the time. “The medical examiner’s findings are all consistent with drowning.”
During a press conference, Thomas said the investigation has been closed, but any additional information received from the autopsy report would be added to the case.
Grovo, who worked closely on the case since Wiese disappeared on Nov. 8, 2006, said he was saddened by the outcome, but glad there is closure for the family. Grovo said there was no indication of foul play, and he couldn’t shed any light onto why the teen-ager may have taken her own life.
“It’s a hard time in life,” Grovo said. “I was 15 once, but I wasn’t there. I can’t tell you what was going through her mind. She was just a regular teen-ager in a rough world just trying to grow up.”
Mike Michaud, a spokesman with the Maine Wardens Service, said a group of teen-agers canoeing in the river along Warren Road in Buxton, six miles from where Coreen was last seen, discovered the body just before midnight on May 11. Michaud said the Wardens Service was called to the scene mid-morning Saturday, May 12, and they retrieved the body from the water.
The discovery came just three days after Coreen’s parents and relatives formed a six-month anniversary vigil to re-energize the search for the 15-year-old Bonny Eagle High School sophomore.
At the May 8 vigil, the family asked people to sign-up for a volunteer search scheduled for Sunday, May 20. The search, organized by the Maine Wardens Service was called off shortly after the discovery of the body.
Two days after the teen-ager went missing, searchers found her cell phone and MP3 player at a rest area along the Saco River where a bridge connects Limington and Standish on Route 25. Searchers also discovered what they thought were suicide messages scratched into the steel girders of the bridge, which read, ‘R.I.P.,’ along with her initials ‘C.W’ and the date she went missing.
After several searches yielded no new leads, family and friends remained hopeful the teenager would be found. Coreen’s profile went national in December, when she appeared on the CBS show ‘Without a Trace.’
The Wieses later released an e-mailed statement about their daughter’s death,
“We now know that the body found in the Saco River is our beloved daughter Coreen. We are deeply saddened with her loss, she is loved and missed by all. We wish to thank the community of Buxton, all of Coreen’s family and friends, the media, and law enforcement personnel that have been so helpful with the search for Coreen during the past six-months. Because of all your help and God’s will we are able to bring Coreen home.”